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FORAGING; In Old Shops, Renewal in Kyoto

By INGRID K. WILLIAMS

Published: June 24, 2012

AS the kimono fell out of style, so too did Nishijin, the historic textile district in northwestern Kyoto. These days, the neighborhood's narrow, quiet lanes north of Imadegawa and west of Horikawa have fallen off the tourist map. But in recent years, local artists and artisans have opened small shops and studios in the neighborhood, many in the traditional wooden houses called machiya, spurring a revival. Here, time-honored Japanese traditions get a modern spin -- from hand-printed paper to classic confections -- with nary a souvenir chopstick in sight. INGRID K. WILLIAMS

PHOTOS: KAMISOE: 11-1 Higashi Fujinomori-cho Murasakino, Kita-ku (81-75) 432-8555 kamisoe.com Ko Kado, the owner of this three-year-old shop, combines traditional woodblock printing methods with his background in graphic design to create hand-printed paper for sliding shoji doors. His wife, Misa, often works in the shop, which also stocks gorgeous cards and stationery imprinted with his original designs.; RYUKA: 11-1 Higashi Fujinomori-cho Murasakino 2F, Kita-ku (81-90) 4562-3396 Slip off your shoes before ascending the stairs to this second-floor studio in the Fujinomori artists' collective. The ornate, handpainted ceramics for sale range from festive chopstick rests and beautiful beer mugs to magnificently decorated teacups.; UCHU WAGASHI: 786 Fujinoki-cho, Kamigyo-ku (81-75) 201-4933 uchu-wagashi.jp This tiny shop opened a year and a half ago with a small selection of wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets in unusual flavors like chai tea. Thin, cookie-like rakugan come in animal shapes like hippos and porcupines; NAZUNA: 11-1 Higashi Fujinomoricho Murasakino 1F, Kita-ku (81-90) 8368-3756 Local artisans converted an old two-story machiya into an artists' collective. In a glass blower's studio, handblown bud vases are strung, and displays are filled with colorful, whimsical jewelry.; YAMAOKA SAKETEN: 555 Botanboko-cho, Senbondori Kamidachiurisagaru, Kamikyo-ku (81-75) 461-4772 Though a ban on small-production breweries in Japan was lifted in the mid-1990s, craft beer has been slow to catch on. But lurking amid dusty sake bottles and fresh vegetables in this open-air shop is, incongruously, the city's best selection of rare Japanese microbrews, including bottles from Nagisa and Fujizakura Heights. (PHOTOGRAPHS BY KOSUKE OKAHARA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES)
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